ICC finalising venues for 2026 T20 World Cup in India, Sri Lanka

The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and Eden Gardens in Kolkata have been shortlisted to host the semifinals of the ICC T20 World Cup, scheduled for February–March 2026, according to Indian media reports.

The International Cricket Council (ICC), in coordination with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), has finalised eight venues for the tournament. Matches in India will be played across five cities — Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Ahmedabad and Kolkata — while Sri Lanka will host games at three venues, including two stadiums in Colombo and one in Kandy.

The final venue is yet to be decided and will depend on the qualifying teams. Reports suggest that if Pakistan reach the final, it will be played in Colombo; otherwise, Ahmedabad remains a strong contender.

For the semifinals, if Pakistan or Sri Lanka qualify, their match will take place in Colombo. If neither team makes it to the last four, both semifinals will be held in India. The ICC has kept these arrangements flexible for now.

As per an ICC release on October 17, the 20-team tournament will follow the same format as the 2024 edition co-hosted by the USA and West Indies. The sides will be divided into four groups of five, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the Super Eights.

“The Super Eights will feature two groups of four sides, with the top two finishers from each group progressing to the knockout semifinals,” the ICC said.

Apart from the 13 Test-playing nations, Canada, the Netherlands, UAE, Nepal, Oman and Namibia have qualified, while Italy will make their T20 World Cup debut. India enter the event as defending champions after defeating South Africa in the 2024 final. The ICC is expected to announce the full schedule and groupings soon.